A/HRC/13/23 of tensions, and thus serve the purpose of conflict prevention. Therefore, in addition to being a legal obligation, creating conditions for the effective participation of minorities should be considered by States to be an integral part of good governance. Effective participation in decision-making processes, particularly those which have an impact on minorities, is a precondition for the full and equal enjoyment of the human rights of persons belonging to minorities. There are at least two key lessons to be learned. The first is the truly essential nature of the right to effective participation: the fulfilment of so many other fundamental human rights is both dependent on and a prerequisite for its fulfilment. The second is that the effectiveness of the political participation of minorities must constantly be measured at all levels of society, in order to ensure that it is real and meaningful. 2 GE.10-10198

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